NAMES IN THE NEWS: SHELDON ADELSON

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1 NAMES IN THE NEWS: SHELDON ADELSON By DENIS E RO TH BARBER JULY 21, 2008 This publication was made possible by grants from: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Strengthening U.S. Democracy Ford Foundation, Program on Governance and Civil Society The Pew Charitable Trusts, State Policy Initiatives Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Program on Democratic Practice 833 NORTH LAST CHANCE GULCH, SECOND FLOOR HELENA, MT PHONE FAX institute@statemoney.org

2 Sheldon Adelson, one of the richest people in the world, 1 has so far doled out $3.3 million to conservative-leaning independent advocacy groups this election season, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 2 Adelson s emergence as one of the biggest donors to these groups this year has raised hopes among Republicans that he could be the right s answer to George Soros, a hedge-fund manager and patron of liberal causes. 3 Adelson a gaming multibillionaire and his casino/convention centers in Nevada, have also long been making political contributions at the state level, giving $3.9 million in political contributions in six states California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada and Texas from 2000 through CON TR IBU TIONS FROM A D ELSON A ND HIS COMPANIES, CONTR IBU TOR TOTA L Venetian Casino Resort $20,340 $144,106 $2,818,418 $0 $45,000 $3,027,865 Adelson, Sheldon G. & $5,000 $78,500 $100,000 $100,000 $275,000 $558,500 Miriam Las Vegas Sands $0 $5,000 $12,500 $0 $281,000 $298,500 Interface Group $0 $0 $0 $0 $30,000 $30,000 Sands Expo & Convention $0 $0 $0 $0 $30,000 $30,000 Center Venetian Macau $0 $0 $0 $0 $10,000 $10,000 TOTA L $25,34 0 $227,6 06 $2,930,918 $100,0 00 $671,0 00 $3,954,865 WHO AD ELSON TARGETED Most of the money, or 83 percent of the $3.9 million, went to support or oppose ballot measures in five states. His companies gave on measures addressing their economic interests, while Adelson gave to ideological measures: The Venetian Casino Resort bankrolled efforts supporting a casino gambling measure in Nebraska in 2004, providing $2.7 million of the $2.8 million raised in support of Amendment 3. The measure, which failed, would have allowed the Legislature to authorize up to two casinos, pending local approval. The company also gave $10,000 in support of a 2004 education measure in Nevada that requires the Legislature to fund public schools before funding any other part of the state budget. Adelson contributed $450,000 of his own money to three different ballot measure campaigns. He gave $250,000 in opposition to a measure on Nevada s ballot in 2006 that, if passed, would have legalized marijuana. The measure, Question 7, failed. Adelson also 1 The World s Billionaires, Forbes.com, March 5, 2008, available from accessed July 21, Top Individual Contributors to 527 committees, 2008 Election Cycle, Center for Responsive Politics, available from accessed July 21, Vegas Tycoon Bankrolls Republicans, Wall Street Journal, July 15, 2008, sec. A, p.16. National Institute on Money in State Politics

3 gave $100,000 in support of a California 2005 measure, Proposition 74, that would have increased the waiting period for teachers to receive permanent status, and another $100,000 in opposition to a Colorado 2004 measure, Amendment 36, that would have allocated Colorado's electoral votes based on the percentage of votes for each presidential candidate. The measures also failed. Las Vegas Sands gave $100,000 in support of a 2006 Nevada measure, Question 4, which would have prohibited smoking in certain public places and only allowed the state Legislature to regulate the smoking of tobacco. There was a competing measure, Question 5, which did pass, that also banned smoking in certain public places, but allows local governments to adopt stricter control measures. CON TR IBU TIONS TO BA LLOT M EASUR E C AMPAIGNS, STA TE YEAR CONTR IBU TOR MEA SURE POSITION TOTA L NE 2004 Venetian Casino Resort Amendment 3 For $2,732,893 NV 2006 Adelson, Sheldon G. Question 7 Against $250,000 CA 2005 Adelson, Sheldon G. Proposition 74 For $100,000 CO 2004 Adelson, Sheldon G. Amendment 36 Against $100,000 NV 2006 Las Vegas Sands Question 4 For $100,000 NV 2004 Venetian Casino Resort Question 1 For $10,000 TOTA L $3,292,893 Adelson and his companies also gave to party committees, mostly favoring the state Republican Party in his home state. The Las Vegas Sands gave $100,000 to the Nevada Republican Party all in 2006, while the Venetian Casino Resort gave $98,900 and Adelson and his wife together gave $73,500. Adelson and his companies gave an additional $132,921 to the Nevada Republican party in CON TR IBU TIONS TO PAR TY COMM ITTEES, YEAR STA TE RECIPIENT TOTA L 2006 NV Nevada Republican Party $100, NV Nevada Republican Party $5, NV Nevada Republican Party $164, NV Nevada Republican Party $2,550 TOTA L $272, NV Republican Assembly Caucus $5, NV Republican Assembly Caucus $2,000 TOTA L $7, NV Republican Legislators Joint Caucus $4, NV Senate Republican Leadership Conference $2, NV Senate Republican Leadership Conference $25,000 4 Any contributions made during 2008 are not yet publicly available, since reports of money raised through July 2008 are not due for submittal until early August. National Institute on Money in State Politics

4 2002 NV Senate Republican Leadership Conference $25,000 TOTA L $52,00 0 NEVA DA TOTAL $335, NE Nebraska Democratic Party $3, NE Nebraska Republican Party $6,370 NEBRA SKA TOTAL $10, MA Massachusetts Republican Party $5,000 TOTA L $350,4 26 Although Adelson gives almost exclusively to Republicans, the Venetian Casino resort nonetheless gave the Nebraska Democratic Party $3,656 in 2004, when the company was also funding the gaming measure. The company also gave $6,370 to the state Republican Party. Adelson and his companies greatly increased their giving to state-level candidates in 2006, doling out 214,000 to 10 state candidates, all in Nevada. This was twice their combined contributions from 2000 through 2004, which totaled $97,546. Much of the increase can be attributed to $145,000 in contributions to the 2006 governor s race. Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons received $90,000 from Adelson and his companies, and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki received another $40,000. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beers, who lost in the primary, received another $15,000. ADELSO N V S. S OROS AND BIN G According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Adelson is third in line to two other wealthy donors who are also pouring significant cash into independent advocacy campaigns this season. George Soros tops the list with $4.5 million, followed by Stephen Bing, of Shangri-La Entertainment from California, with $3.3 million. 5 Like Adelson, Soros and Bing have given millions of dollars at the state level, with many of their donations spent on ballot measure campaigns. Soros contributed $1.7 million of his own money in the states from 2000 through 2006 with $1.4 million spent on six measures in four states. His wife, Susan Soros, gave an additional $31,100. While Soros has given significantly more of his own money than Adelson Adelson has given $543,500 of his own money, while his wife Miriam gave $15,000 the additional $3.4 million given by Adelson s companies heavily tip the scales in his direction. Stephen Bing has given $52.9 million of his own money to state committees from 2000 through Most of that, $49.6 million, went to support Proposition 87 a failed measure on California s ballot in 2006 that would have allotted $4 billion for alternative energy research. The research would have been paid for largely by a profit tax on energy companies. Shangri-La Entertainment gave an additional $3 million to successfully fight a 2005 California measure, Proposition 77, which would have required a panel of three retired judges to adopt new redistricting plans after each national census. 5 Top Individual Contributors to 527 committees, 2008 Election Cycle, Center for Responsive Politics, available from accessed July 21, National Institute on Money in State Politics

5 As state races and ballot measure campaigns gain momentum this election season, the Institute will continue to monitor the money Adelson and his left-leaning competitors, along with other emerging major players, pour into their coffers. National Institute on Money in State Politics